Steam-heating system.



C. A. BALL.

STEAM H.EAT!NG SYSTEM.

APPLICATION EILED AuG.13.1915.

' @LWL/knew Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

GFFICE,

HRLES A. BALL, F NEW YORK, N. Y.

ornaat-useremo srs'rnie M. i s MM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application tiled Adugust 13, 1915. Serial-No. 45,373.

tenis` and has for its object to provide ior supplying the steam to the radiators or other' units .ot' the svsteni by gravity, the steam automatically forcing` out of the radiators and piping' the air th in.

In carrying out n v invention, l provide :i sealed s vsteni` and adinit thereto a heating niediuin. the saine being either live steam under pressure. or exhaust steam, and by means ot' automatic check and tlierinostatic `rclicty valves iny the return provide for `the iiow ot' steam 'through the s vsteiu troia the iop downward, the air in the system, which is or greater specitie gravitv than the strani, falling to the bottoni ot' theV system and passin gY through the thei'niost-atic elementR either by'reason o the pressure ot' live steani t'orc- A in e it downward.-or bv reason ot' the suction induced b v an exhaust pump on the return side .ot' the thcrinostatie element.

In larrying outnrv invention, the saine iiirolves certain details otl constrneti as will be more deiinitely pointed out, reference being had to the aceonipaiiying draivingin which zl `igure l is a view in elevation showing a portion of the s vstein, including one nailiaior and the supply and return to the exhaust pump and condensation punip. Fig. '22 is a detail sectional view of one ot' the check valves cinploied with each rruliatorE Fig. 3 is a similar view ot'the check valve employed in the condensation return. Fig. l is a. siinilar view of one ot' the therniostatic. valves.

In said drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes the steain supply pipe for the syteni. havingl tapped theretroni the pipe 2 which communicates with thoradiator 3 at both ends. ln thatv connection/with the radiator iarthest ilroni the pipe l is located a cheek valve l. shown in detail in Fig. 2, and which will vbe hereinafter described. Below ih e pipe Q the steam pipe l communicates. by -n aus or' the pipe 5, with an exhaust puinp 6 of any suitable construction, said ronnnunieatic bein 'through ther-4 mostaf-u inl'fe l upipe 8,

lil ill@ forni ot therinostatic valve, 7, the therniof. static element being shown at 16 :in d there. 90' being `disposed above said eleinent a, ball which communicates between pipes l and 5, said tlierniostatic valve being shown in de.- tail. in liig. 4,. and hereinafter described. Below the connection of pipe 5 steam pipe l is.v a return pipo connection 9 communicating with the return condensation niain l0 ot' the system, a check valve ll, shown in detail in Fig. 3, being located in said pipe ihand said condensation return 65 l pipe leading to the usual pump 12.

Referring more particularly to Fig. i2, the( check valve will be seen to embody a swing ing valveineinber 13, pivote-d at lei in the easing, in such inanner as to hang vertically 7D,

like a pendulum, so as to be normally slightly ott' its seat when the pressuresin the radiator and in the pipe 2 are equalized. Bj.' this construction, there is a perfectly free 'passagoroin the radiator to the pipe 2, .and 75 jvet a inost eilicient check against the slightest haelt pressure.

In Fig. 39 l have illustrated a preferred forni oit. check valve to be usedut 11, the

saine ditl'eriiig slightly from the check valtes 80 l in that the swingingwalve ineniber 13', pivoted at l seats upon a slightliv inclined seat l5. and does nothave the pendulumlikeswing ot' the valre nieniber 13 of the. valve .l. .'ventional one. and may be4 purchased in theopen market.

In Fig. i.

l ,have illustrated a preferred lvalve` l?, which will open upwardly; but will preventan)v return or back pressure.

In operation, the s vsteni 1s sealed ett'ectually.' against atmosphereE and steam is sup- 95 plied to the pipe l leading downward therein to the radiators or other'heating elenients. It' live ste-ani is used, the elasticity o t' the saine-willcause it to advance down the pipennd enter the radiator 3 through the 100 pipe 2. the saine, building up in the first section ot said radiator, which, as shown in section` is cut oil' at the bottom troni the next 'section thereof. so' that the. steam will build up' in the tlrst section and be. supplied there- 105 troni to the successive sections from the top ot said tirst seeti'on.. its long'as the steani pressure is exerted in the radiator 3. there will be a necessary dropping of air in the radiator through the check valve l and pipe 110 L). and the consequent discharge thereof through the thorinostatio valve 'Z' and pipe 5 with 4the so This valve ll. however, is a con- 85k tem of water of condensation, and to return v tothe atmosphere or to the exhaust pump 6. And this discharge of air from the radiator will in no way be retarded by the Valve fl, 4because of its peculiar pendulumlike construction, whereby it is normally free from its seat, and yet ready to respond to the slightest back pressure. Where exhaust steam is used, or steam having heat units but not elasticity, the exhaust pump 6 is necessary to draw the entrained air in the.

radiators land piping vfrom in front of the approaching steam in the pipe 1, but in both cases, the pressure in the radiator being substantially the same as that in the pipe 1, thel steam takes the place of they air by gravity, the air dropping to the bottom of the system because of its greater specific gravity,

and its place beingftaken automatically byy 'the steam. It will, of course, be understood that the pump 12 operates to relieve the sysit to the boiler in the usual manner.

v I- have also shown in Fig. 1, a valve 18 at the top 0f the radiator 3, which valve is for the purpose of controlling the supply of steamrto said 'radiator'. In this connection I prefer to use a valve substantially similar to that disclosed in patent to George lV. Hammond, No. 985,526, dated Feb. 28, 1911,

thoughy I do not limit myself to such construction. All that is necessary is that the -valve 18 shall enable an operator to control the quantity of steam admitted to the radiator, so that if a portion of the steam is cut off,'less steam is admitted to the radiator than the latter can condense, which will cause a condensation Vacuum in the radiator l IWhich' Will seat the check valve 13 and permit an up-,build of condensation, whereby a lesser surface ofthe radiator will be subjectedl to contact with the steam, and hence a lowering of the heating effect. It will be understood that the entire system will be controlled in this manner byia single valve like the valve 18, located iii the basement of the building, though I contemplate that each radiator shall be so equipped, in order that a u portion of said unit to said pipe, and at the same time preventing the iiow of steam in the'opposite direction to said radiator unit,

whereby water and airof condensation aie removed .from the unit by gravity.

2. The method of heating buildings, which lconsists in controllably supplying steam from a down-flow pipe to theupper part of a 'radiator unit, freely returning air and water of condensation from the lower portion of said unit to said pipe, and at the saine time preventing the flow of steam in the opposite direction to said radiator unit, whereby water and air of condensation are removed from the unit by gravity, and finally providing a thermostaticrelief for the air.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 12th day of August, 1915.

CHARLES A. .BALLA lVitiiesses LAURA E. SMITH, MARY lV. VVALLACE. 

